Planned Giving

Isabella Stewart Gardner devoted her adult life to creating the Museum that bears her name. In her will, she left the Museum in trust “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever” and bequeathed $1.2 million to establish an endowment for its future care and support.  

For more than a century, the generosity of like-minded people has preserved the unparalleled collection she assembled and enabled the Museum to continue to flourish as a vibrant and dynamic cultural resource. We invite  you to become a part of this legacy – as you create your own legacy – by including the Gardner  in your estate plans to help ensure the vitality of the Museum for future generations. 

Planned gifts provide important long-term support for the Museum and its programs while, in many cases, reducing your tax liability.  There are many ways to make a meaningful gift, either during your lifetime or through your estate plans.  Some of the most common vehicles include: bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, life insurance policies, IRAs or other retirement plans, and gifts of real estate.  We would welcome a conversation about how these or other options could benefit both you and the Gardner.

The Gardner does not provide legal advice.  Please consult with your financial and legal advisors when making or changing your estate plans.  

The Phoenix Society was created to honor individuals who have included the Gardner Museum in their estate plans.  If you have already named the Gardner in your will or other estate plans, please let us know so that we can thank you and welcome you to the Phoenix Society.  

Benefits include:

• Invitation to special receptions and select events
• Recognition in the Phoenix Society listing in the Annual Report and other publications (as Anonymous, if you prefer)
• Personalized assistance to help you make the most of your involvement with the Museum
• Knowing that you, like Isabella Stewart Gardner and many others, have made a lasting contribution that will help to ensure the future of the Gardner Museum 

Contact Us

To learn more about the Phoenix Society or ways to support the Museum through a planned gift, please contact Maureen O'Brien, Director of Individual Giving, at 617 264 6038 or mobrien@isgm.org. Inquiries are confidential and imply no obligation. We look forward to talking with you.